Push button switch



April 12, 1938. c. H. BlssELL 2,113,755

PUSH BUTTON SWITCH Filed Jan. 18, 1935 l l :L l 4492; 4a 52' llll u-mun Vzw/#M l Q//WW ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 12, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PUSH BUTTON SWITCH Carl H. Bissell, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Crouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York 'Application January 18, v1935, Serial No.2,398

2 Claim. (Cl. 200--5l 'I'his invention relates in general to electrical switches, and more particularly to that type of switch known as a push-button station. Push button stations are switches of the push button 5 type used generally in connection with starting apparatus for large size electric motors. 'I'he push button stationis located within convenient reach of the machine operator, and by which he controls the electric motor connected to the machine.

Push button stations, now in general use, are constructed to carry a comparatively small current, about two amperes, and are of such construction that it is often dilcult to change the contacts of the station to obtain different combinations in operation.

An object of this invention is a push button station of such construction that it will carry comparatively heavy currents, ranging up to thirty ampereswhlle, at the same time, maintaining the over-all dimensions of the present push button stations, so that the heavy current carrying station may be mounted in the standard housing now used for stations carryingsmall currents.

Another object of the invention is the construction o1' such a station in which the various elements thereof are standardized and interchangeable, and permitting the contacts of the station to be readily changed for diIerent make or break l. connections and combinations by the electrician,

or wireman, without the use of special tools.

Another object of the invention is al push button station incorporating novel contact construction whereby the connections may be made and broken a great number oftimes without any appreciable wear on the contacts.

'I'he invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

40 In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.. i

. Figure 1 is a bottom, plan view with the detachable back or bottom plate partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken on lines 3 3, Figure 1.

'I'he switch consists generally of a body formed of insulating material with a fiat central base portion, and upstanding end portions, the body being in the form of a box having a bottom wall and end walls only, opposing contact members mounted in the recess between the end portions,

each contact member being channel shaped in general form with one flange mounted on the bottom wall of the recess, and spring contact ilngers carried by the contact members and projecting inwardly, a push button having a stem slidably 5 mounted in the base portion of the body, and being provided at its inner end with roller contacts which, upon axial movement of the stem, engage or disengage the contact fingers, the stem of the push button being operable from the outer l0 side of the base portion of the body.

As here shown, the body of the switch is of one-piece integral co'nstruction formed of insulating material, being preferably moulded of bakelite, porcelain, or like substances. 'I'he body is l5 formed with a central flat portion or base I0, and end portions II. The end portions are greater in length than the thickness of the central portion I0, giving the body a substantially U shaped formation. The stationary contacts of the switch are mounted on the flat base portion Il between 20 the end portions II. The outer side of the base portion I0 may be called the face of the switch, and is provided with a shallow recess extending lengthwise of the body, and in which is detachably mounted a metallic supporting plate I2. i345` As here shown, a back plate I3, also of insulating material, is detachably secured to the back of the body, or to the outer ends of the portions Il. The metallic supporting plate I2, and the back plate I3 are secured to the body by screws 30 I4 which extend through apertures Il in the back plate I3 and end portions II, and thread into the supporting plate I2, as indicated in Figures.

Y 1 and 2. 'I'he recess between the end portions Il may be'divided into two or more compartments, 35 and to accomplish this arrangement, the body is provided with a partition or separator II'of insulating material. As here shown, the partition Il is located midway between the end portions Il with the inner edge located in a slot, or recess, extending transversely of the base portion Il. and the outer rear edge provided with projections I1 which lit into complemental notches or recesses in the side edges of the back plate Il. The partition I6 may be moulded integral with the body, but as here shown is detachably held in the slot in the base I0 by the back plate I3 which is preferable, as the removal of the partition permits greater access to the contacting -mechanism of the switch. The partition I6 divides the recess 50 of the body into two compartments I8, I9. 'Ihese compartments are open on their sides to permit attachment of the conductors to the contact members of the switch. That is, as here shown,

through the base,vand` threading into the lowerA the body is of box formation having a bottom Wall and end walls only, and is divided into two compartments, each being open at their lateral sides.

A pair of contact members is mounted in each of the compartments I8, I9. The contact members 20 are channel shaped in cross section, and the members of each pair are mounted with one flange on the bottom wall of thel compartment, or the inner side of the base I0 with the flanges extending inwardly toward the center of the body. The central portionof the contact members 20 is provided with a threaded aperture to receive the terminal screw 2|, andare also. provided with struck out lugs 22 which aid in holding the loop of the conductor under the head of the screw 2I.

The anges of the contact members 20 are provided with spaced apart threaded apertures, and the members 20 are detachably mounted upon the base I0 bymeansv 'of screws 23 extending flange of the contact member. The heads of the shown in Figure3. The contact lingers 3l) mayj,

" screws 23 are located in counter-bores in the face of the body, and are accessible when the supporting plate I2 is removed from the body.

Resilient metallic contact fingers 30 are detachably secured to the confronting sides of the contact members 20, and are formed with extensions 32 which extend inwardly toward the center of the body, and the inner ends of which are curved slightly downwardly and outwardly, as

' be either mounted on the upper or lowerange of the supporting members 20, and when mounted on the upper flange are secured thereto by screws 3I, and when attached vto `the lower Yflanges of the member 20 are clamped between the lower flange and thefbase I 0 bythe screws 23, as'

shown by dotted lines Figure 3,

The contact, fingers 30 yare bridged, or elec-i trlcallyconnected, by push button mechanism.

Referring te Figure 2, the ieee of the Ymay is formed with recesses or counterbore's 35, and the supporting plate I2 is provided with comple- `mental apertures. The central portionof the .body is also provided with passages extending therethrough and arranged axially of the counterrial is slldably'rnounted in these passages andv bores 35.

As hereshown, a stem 36 of insulating mateprovided at its outer end with a detachable push vbutton 31. The outer portion of the stem 36 is surrounded by a. helical compression spring 38 of the cap or button 31 to normally press the stem outwardly. The diameter of the cap 31 is such,

relative to the recess 35, as to permit free axial movement ofthe cap in the recess. The inner end of the stem 36 is ilattened and provided with a transverse aperture in which a pin 39 is carried. Metallic rollers 40 are mounted. on each end of the pin on opposite sides of the ilattened portion of the stem. The stems 36 are arranged on the' longitudinal axis of the body, and the pins 39 are held in alinement during movement of the stem 36 by slots 42 formed in the inner side of the end portions I I. One end of the pins extends into this slot, and the slot acts as a guide for the pin. The diameter of the rollers 40 is greater than the distance between the opposing-fingers 32 of the contacts, whereby when the stems are pushed inwardly, the rollers are moved out of contact with, or in contact with, the fingers 32, depending upon a considerable period of -time without the necessity of either removing the contacts 30 or the rollers 4U. y

I n push button stations generally, it is desirable that they be of such construction as to readily permit the contacts to be so arranged as to effect either make or break connections. Where. two push buttons are employed in the one switch, the contacts are arranged usually so that pushing in one button breaks a circuit, and pushing in the other button makes a circuit. There are instances however, when it is desirable to have both buttons make a circuit when pushed inwardly, or both buttons break a circuit. 'i

In the arrangement vhere shown, the contacts in the compartmentfl are normally "closed, as they are mounted adjacent the base I0, while the contacts in compartment I9 are mounted on the outer flanges of the supporting members 20, and the circuit is made when the buttonis pressed inwardly. Due to the `fact that the supporting members 20 and the contacts 30, stems 3 6, rollers 40, and all other parts of the switch, are standard and interchangeable, anyone ot va-number of combinations can be readily obtained through the use only of a screw driver, it being necessary for the dealer to only carry one switchin stock, as

' the wireman or electrician/ can readily obtain the desired combination on thefjb'.

The Vfeature of interchangeability of parts, and

ease of access, constitutes one of the important `body of insulating material consisting of a base portion and endportions extending rearwardly from the base, a partition strip extending rearwardly from the base portion and arranged intermediate said end portions, a back plate mounted on said end portions and extending lengthwiseof the body, a face plate overlying the face side of the base portion, means for securing the back plate and face plate to the body, said back plate being cooperable with the rear edge of said partition strip to detachably secure the same to the body, and said partition strip fand back plate forming separate compartments in the body, stationary contacts mounted in 'each compartment,

-a push button stem slidably mounted in the base portion in register with each of said compartments and having a push button extending through said face plate, contacts carried by the inner end of each stem and being operable to engage and disengage said rst mentioned contacts upon axial movement of said stem.

2. A switch of the type described comprising a body of insulating material consisting of a base portion and end portions extending rearwardly from the base, a comparatively thin partition strip extending rearwardly from the base portion and arranged intermediate said end portions, a back plate mounted on said end portions and extending lengthwise of the body, a face plate overlying the face side of the base portion, means for securing the back plate and face plate to the body, said back plate being cooperable with the rear edge of said partition strip to detach- 'ably secure the same to the body, and said partition strip and back plate formin'g separatel compartments in the body, stationary contacts mounted in each compartment and having terminals accessible at the side of the body, a push button stem slidably mounted in the base portion in register with each of said compartments and being guided thereby during sliding movement 10 of the stem.

CARL H. B18811113. 

